NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 8: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 8, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
“ Hate” is a strong word and doesn’t quite fit here, but “teams that you root against the most” doesn’t have a great ring to it. This isn’t real hate, just sports hate. That said, the season is long, and if you’re an NBA head with a League Pass subscription, you sometimes need something to watch on nights the Jazz aren’t on. Here are the top five teams to hate-watch, or root against, this season. Some are for standings/playoff-race reasons, and some are for petty reasons, but both are valid.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
I know, I know. This isn’t a team Jazz fans find easy to hate. Most Jazz fans root for Rudy Gobert, and now they can root for Cody Williams too. While those players are fun to root for, there are real reasons to hope this team loses. In the upcoming draft, Utah gets the second-best pick of Utah, Cleveland, and Minnesota. This means that Jazz fans should root against all these teams because the worse they do, the better it is for Utah come draft night in 2027. So, even though it’s fun to root for Rudy Gobert, who still has strong roots in Utah, it helps the Jazz in a small way each time they lose. This includes next year, when Utah will still be receiving picks from the Rudy Gobert trade.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
This is for purely petty reasons. I have no problem admitting that I am a hater. I remember last season when the Oklahoma City Thunder tried to ruin the Jazz’s tank to keep their pick. Instead of letting other teams do the same, Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder tried to meddle, nay, snitch, on the Jazz for what they were doing. You can absolutely attribute the fine the Jazz received to the Thunder and the outside pressure not to continue the tank. That pressure might have folded lesser, weaker-minded front offices like the Kings or Pelicans, but the Jazz held strong, and it worked. Now, Sam Presti has to watch as the Jazz turned the pick that could have been his into Darryn Peterson, who will start competing for the playoffs and beyond for years to come. For that disrespect and act of war, I will enjoy every Thunder loss. Every time the cheap-o Thunder ownership forces the front office to trade off players to save a little cap, I’ll enjoy it. Every time the Thunder fall short, I’ll be there, absorbing the Presti tears like a hate-plant needing water.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
Yes, Donovan Mitchell quit on the Jazz in the Dallas Mavericks series to force a trade he was pushing for behind closed doors. Yes, every time he loses a playoff series, it validates the trades made four years ago. Those are reasons alone to hate-watch the Cavaliers. But on top of that, the Jazz still have 1st-round picks and swaps from the Cavs for the Donovan Mitchell trade. Every loss helps the Utah Jazz in a real way. This upcoming season, Utah has the second-most favorable of the three picks in the UTA/MIN/CLE group. They have a first-round swap in 2028, plus the two most favorable picks in the UTA/MIN/CLE group in 2029. So, hate-away Jazz fans, because the Cavs losing helps Utah a lot.
2. Washington Wizards
This is for the most unhinged haters. We have nothing against the Wizards, really. The Jazz and Wizards are in two different conferences. Both have been seeking a cornerstone star, and both likely have one now. But because of the rumors this summer that the Wizards front office tried to stir up (the ones pushing Ace Bailey and the Jazz’s pick for the #1 pick), and because they drafted AJ Dybantsa regardless, it’s enough to create a real hate watch. Also, for some reason, as fans, you just want to see your pick play better than theirs. I don’t know why, I don’t understand it, but there’s been a lot of animosity between the Wizards and Jazz fanbases. Both want to say their player is better. On top of that, the BYU connection has created some fans internally who have rooted for AJ to somehow prove the Jazz should have traded up for him. All this adds up to me watching a lot of Wizards games and enjoying it when things don’t go well.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
The easiest choice of these. First off, it’s the Lakers. That is immediately a valid reason to have him the Lakers near the top. It’s in the Jazz fan charter or something. On top of that, they traded for a player who didn’t want to be here. Walker Kessler didn’t accept any offers from the Jazz that would have kept him here and made him a core part of this exciting Jazz core. The offers were more than fair and would have made him one of the highest-paid non-all-stars in the league, and at a position that typically doesn’t get overpaid. This is probably my own theory, but I’m guessing Kessler kept turning down Jazz offers until he knew the Jazz’s limit, then leveraged a move to the Lakers because Luka Doncic wanted him on the team. Once again, good on the Jazz for fleeceing the Lakers in the deal. Sure, you can be happy for Kessler getting paid, but I’m a real Utah Jazz fan and will happily root against the Lakers and any player who chose to move to that team. Aside from the Jazz winning, nothing would give me more satisfaction than a dissapointing Lakers and Walker Kessler season.
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the National League Championship Series for a third consecutive season.
The Dodgers will be tasked with beating the Milwaukee Brewers, who produced the best record in the league this season. This is the second consecutive season the two teams have met in the NLCS.
Los Angeles managed to sweep Milwaukee in 2025, holding the Brewers' offense to just one run in each game. Ohtani was named the series MVP, having delivered a strong two-way performance.
The Dodgers’ superstar closed out last year's NLCS by pitching six shutout innings while striking out 10. He also hit three home runs in the game.
Will Shohei Ohtani need another strong performance for Dodgers to win?
Ohtani has not been healthy for a good portion of the 2026 season.
He was limited as a pitcher, and hasn’t pitched at all since July 3 due to his injuries. It is unlikely that he will pitch during the postseason.
Ohtani will remain available as a designated hitter, despite dealing with knee inflammation and biceps discomfort.
The lack of pitching from Ohtani will not diminish Los Angeles' chances of making the World Series. Ohtani did not pitch during his first season with the Dodgers in 2024, but the team captured the World Series title anyway.
He spent the entire 2024 season recovering from right elbow surgery he underwent in September 2023. The four-time MVP reached several career milestones that year and created the 50-50 club after producing 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
Shohei Ohtani's NLDS stats
Ohtani produced just two hits and a run in four games against the Atlanta Braves in the 2026 National League Division Series. He did not hit a home run but did steal a base. He was walked twice and struck out four times.
Oct 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin (23) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
On a rainy October night in Downtown Phoenix, the Suns locked in and played one of their most complete games of the preseason.
The Suns are now 1-2 and have two more preseason games left on the schedule before their season opener on October 21st. Phoenix was without Devin Booker and Miles Bridges in this one.
Luke Kennard led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-10 shooting from deep. He also chipped in with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 25 minutes. Jalen Green scored 18 points, and Dillon Brooks added 15. Overall, it was another strong showing from the starting unit, even if it was a different starting five this time.
Khaman Maluach got his first start of the preseason, and certainly took advantage of it. He finished with 10 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal on 4-for-9 shooting in 23 minutes. Man Man finished plus-14.
The Suns decided to start Luke Kennard and Ryan Dunn in place of Devin Booker and Miles Bridges. The original plan was for guys not to play in all 5 games, so this was the game off for those two, per Jordan Ott.
Khaman Maluach also drew his first start of the preseason with the Suns going up against Wembanyama’s length. He pulled in 10 boards in his first 11 minutes of action, making the most of his time on the glass.
Luke Kennard let it fly early and often, and showed that he is indeed far more than just a shooter. He was drilling threes, but also attacking closeouts, getting to his spots and cutting without the ball.
Phoenix led after the opening quarter, 35-25. The Suns were actually getting “out-tempoed” in fastbreak points, with the Spurs scoring 15 compared to their 4 in fastbreak points. But it did not feel like it, because they were scoring off turnovers and generating plenty of second-chance points.
Luke Kennard certainly took the “shoot it more” to heart in this one, as he aggressively looked to get his shot both off the dribble
Second Half
Wembanyama did not start the second half initially, but checked in one minute and four seconds into the quarter.
Maluach had a nice offensive board over Wemby and a put-back two. The very next possession, after he ripped down his 12th rebound of the game, he finished at the rim, going right at Wemby… again! Then he drained a three.
Victor Wembanyama misses a 3-pointer, and Khaman Maluach shows him how it's done, hitting a triple (with a replay).
Maluach's jumper looked better in the Summer League, and now? It looks even smoother. pic.twitter.com/FkWnDzPnGw
It was the Khaman Maluach show to open the third. The Suns outscored the Spurs by five in the 3rd quarter to extend their lead to 12 points.
Brooks and Green each went for about 9 minutes of action before heading to the bench for the remainder of the game, handing the rest to the bench crew.
After three, Phoenix led 85-73.
In the fourth quarter, there was a whole lot of Jamaree Bouyea, Haywood Highsmith, and Rasheer Fleming. We even got a Koby Brea and Koa Peat sighting!
Then it got to the sloppy “garbage time” part of preseason, even by preseason standards. The Suns held on despite a late-game run from the Spurs to cut the lead down to four with 12 seconds left.
Up Next
Phoenix will travel to San Antonio to face this same Spurs squad for Game 4 of the preseason on Wednesday. We shall see you all then!
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, back on the crease, delivered one of his best games in a long time, posting his best season performance with several big saves against the Vegas Golden Knights and easing pressure on the Kings' defense.
The 36-year-old posted 30 saves on 32 shots on Saturday night, anchoring LA's defense on the road against a Western Conference opponent. But it still wasn't enough to give the Kings their first road win of the season in a tough environment.
The Kings have now started the season off 0-2-2 for the first time in franchise history. Somehow, though, even though they played arguably their best against a quality team, this loss feels much harder to swallow given how close the match came down.
By all means, this was a very winnable game for the visiting team; despite never leading, the Kings were in position to take the lead, especially with Kuemper's crease play giving the offense plenty of chances to take over.
The game was tied 1-1 after 40 minutes, thanks to Kuemper's strong goaltending, and Artemi Panarin tied the score with a power-play goal in the second period.
The final period mirrored the opening, with both teams struggling to score and their defenses tightening to stretch the game as long as possible. LA was doing a solid job on the rush, especially on the 3-on-2 break-up, with Drew Doughty stopping a dangerous situation.
Neither team could control the game or take the lead in the third period to break the tie. For the second time this season, the Kings were headed to extra periods in T-Mobile Arena.
In overtime, back-to-back plays by Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfeild looked like they would lead to a game-winning goal and head home, but a big save by Knights goaltender Carter Hart kept the home team alive.
All those chances, the door was left open for the home team to convert, and they did. Off the faceoff, Mitch Marner spotted the traffic and nailed a shot down the middle, converting on the Knights' power play and finishing 2/3.
After the game, winner Kuemper, who left it all on the ice, walked off, disappointed, shrugging in disbelief after his best game of the season.
“We hate losing. We want to win. We've got to use that feeling the right way, find that extra level to be difference makers to find wins, Kuemper said after another close loss.’’
A disappointing season last year and an ugly start to this one, despite playing better tonight, have turned up the volume about ownership and whether this team should move towards rebuilding rather than staying in the middle for the last 10 years already.
Despite the defense playing its best this season, holding Vegas to a season-low two goals, the Kings' offense let them down, especially in the final period, after the defense made quality saves and stops; they failed to capitalize.
While the Kings played another close one and looked like they wanted it more, the box score didn't show it. They once again struggled on the power play, finishing 1-for-3 and scoring just one goal in their second straight game.
The positive takeaway from this game was that Kuemper looked excellent on the road against the Knights. If he continues this play, all LA needs to do is work on their offense, and the team will be fine.
Los Angeles returns to Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers beginning their two-game homestand at 7:30 PM PT.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
A WA batter has defied a hamstring injury to prove the hero in an epic finish to seal a thrilling comeback; while South Australia started their Sheffield Shield title defence in brutal fashion.
The Braves reportedly refused to consider trading Didier Fuentes to the Tigers in a potential package for Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline. While some fans may be disappointed at the lack of prioritization of the immediate term, its not hard to understand the reluctance to trade a 21 year old pitcher who just posted absurd numbers over 73.1 innings in his first full major league season and who possesses bullpen ace and electric starter potential. Nevertheless, this reinforces how high the Braves are on Fuentes and how much they view him as a part of their future. It will be interesting to see how they approach Didier’s role going into next season after such a successful season out of the bullpen, but the tantalizing potential for a 22 year old Fuentes to take another step up into a starting pitcher with electric stuff, particularly given the question-marks in the Atlanta rotation.
CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams had 12 of a record 21 strikeouts by Cleveland pitchers, José Ramírez hit a go-ahead home run on a pitch just above home plate and the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 Saturday night to complete a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five AL Division Series.
Cleveland opens the AL Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking its first World Series trip since 2016. The Guardians/Indians franchise hasn’t won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams.
Guardians pitchers set a record for strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since at least 1900. The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play and finished the series with 75 strikeouts and a .185 batting average.
“It was less about chase and more about being attacked in the zone and swing and miss in the zone,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Just didn’t have what it would have took to move some balls forward there.”
Cleveland became just the 11th team to win a best-of-five series among the 96 that fell behind 0-2, the first since the 2017 New York Yankees against the Indians and only the fourth to achieve the feat after losing the first two games at home.
Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both.
He didn’t allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth, two innings after Ramírez homered for the second straight game, a two-run drive off Sean Burke.
After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, the pitcher letting out a yell.
Williams’ 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland’s record for a postseason game. He got 22 swings and misses, and his 24 strikeouts over three games were one shy of the mark for best-of-five postseason series.
“That was big-boy stuff today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve seen other performances like that in the postseason, but to do it in this stage and these types of games facing three straight elimination and you have one of your starters say I will pitch whenever you need me to, super impressive.”
Hunter Gaddis followed Sabrowski and got four outs, and Cade Smith finished for his first career five-out save, striking out the side in the ninth. He blew a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out, setting off a celebration at Progressive Field.
Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2005.
Ramírez homered on a knuckle-curve 0.74 feet above ground, the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run since tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast, and the lowest hit by Ramirez in his 14-year big league career.
Steven Kwan had singled leading off the fourth ahead of Ramírez’s sixth postseason homer, which went just over the wall near the right-field line.
Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.
Up next
Tampa Bay went 5-1 against the Guardians, including three shutouts. It will be the third postseason meeting of the teams following the Rays’ win in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep in the 2022 Wild Card Series.
It's not clear where receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be playing as of next week. It's becoming more and more clear he won't be playing for the Cardinals.
Via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, Harrison was not present for team meetings on Saturday night.
Harrison reportedly has been told he won't be active for Sunday's game against the Lions, as a trade is finalized.
Some in league circles believe he'll be traded to the Texans. Some think the Raiders could be lurking. Sunday's games could shake things up, based on injuries that could happen in the various games.
Regardless, it's hard to imagine Harrison staying with the Cardinals given these developments. At this point, it's just a matter of the Cardinals getting the best return they can for the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft.
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 10: Bones Hyland #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves moves the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on October 10, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat tipping off their regular season against one another in just eleven days, Chris Finch and Erik Spoelstra decided that revealing their cards by playing their main rotation players was too big of a risk. So instead of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball vs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, we got Joan Beringer and Bones Hyland vs Pelle Larsson and Simone Fontecchio. And you know what? It turned out to be a pretty fun game!
For the Wolves, this meant a night off for their starting group and Ayo Dosunmo. With the rest bench crew getting some extra run tonight, it was a great chance for players fighting for minutes to make an extra impression on the coaches. Who was able to do it? Well, read on!
Two Stats That Defined The Game:
+75: This was the combined plus/minus stat from the starting group. Hyland (+16), Shannon (+17), Clark (+17), Lyles (+9) and Beringer (+16) all put together some solid performances. Considering those are the projected next five on the rotation, that matters a lot more than the deeper bench struggles that let Miami back in the game before Antonion Reeves’ eventual game winner with 2.3 left on the clock.
+9: Fast break point advantage for the Wolves. A lot of the other counting stats ended up falling close together (not surprising in a one point game), but fast break points are going to be a stat that is worth keeping a close eye on all season as this team’s identity continues to form into a more up-pace unit.
Game Awards
Big Ticket Award: Joan Beringer
The Big Ticket Award is named after the franchise GOAT and is given the best player on the floor for the night. Tonight Beringer flashed all of those skills that make him such a tantalizing prospect. Dunks, monster blocks, running and finishing in transition, and even some work driving from the top of the key and drawing contact. He finished the night with a stuffed stat line:
Even though it was backups for both teams, there was still requisite NBA talent on the floor and Beringer, quite literally, leapt off the screen with his play on both ends. While the Miami broadcast crew may have struggled mightily with his name (yes, more on that later), they couldn’t help but gush as he began to stack impact play after impact play. If Beringer can continue to bottle those moments while limiting the cheap fouls, there will be a whole lot more gushing from opposing broadcast teams as they begin to get to know the young Frenchman.
The “Quick! To the Well!” Award: Bones Hyland
Cause he’s a bucket. Get it?
Bones could have easily taken home the Big Ticket award tonight as he was absolutely lights out tonight shooting, finishing the night with 23 points on 6-9, including a scorching 5-6 from deep. Performances like this are going to put a lot of pressure on the coaching staff to find regular rotation minutes for him as it’s an interesting push and pull with TJ Shannon presumably taking more of the backup point-of-attack duties.
What was clear tonight is that Bones is a player that knows his game and has full confidence. And while I don’t want to read too much into a game against backups and fringe NBA guys, his defense was noticeably solid tonight. He moved his feet and stayed in front of his man, never overreacting to quick moves or hesitation dribbles like so many do with less experience.
The “I Miss You So Much It Hurts Sometimes” Award: Timberwolves Broadcast Crew
That’s right – an award give to people who were across the country! Look, it’s a preseason game on an opposing team’s broadcast – there are going to be mistakes. But between the “Berh-Ann-Gee”s and “Jaden Clark”s, this was just another broadcast crew that is a reminder about how good we as Wolves fans have it. One of the best parts of the transition to the regular season will be to get to hear Jim Pete and (insert partner of the night) voices again.
Empty the notebook:
Most interesting to me about TJ Shannon’s night was his shooting a couple of midrange jumpers with Miami defenders hanging a bit deeper off screens. Considering the… let’s say consistency… of his hard drives to the left, that midrange (and 3-point) shooting is going to be an important counterpunch. Finished with a nice 19-6-4 stat line on 8/16 shooting.
After a couple encouraging preseason performances, Cody Williams had his worst night of this young season with a 1-7, -17 performance.
Isaiah Evans flashed some good! A couple nice hustle defensive plays (a weak side block and tip away in transition) and knocking down three triples.
Isaiah Evans flashed some bad! Blown by a handful of times on defense and turned the ball over under increased ball pressure. Such is the life of a rookie.
Zyon Pullin continues to impress. He was the go-to guy down the stretch, finishing the game with 22 points on 7-9 shooting.
Antonio Reeves! A game-winning floater just like Chris Finch drew up.
Up Next:
The Wolves hop on a plane and fly north to the concrete jungle to visit Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks on Monday, 10/12 at 6:30pm CT. The game will be on NBA TV.
LAS VEGAS — On a night celebrating the players who helped introduce NHL hockey to Las Vegas, a rookie scored the Golden Knights' first goal.
Trevor Connelly scored on the power play early in the second period, but Artemi Panarin answered with a power-play goal of his own, leaving Vegas and the Los Angeles Kings tied 1-1 through two periods Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Vegas led 23-13 in shots through 40 minutes. Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves for Los Angeles, while Carter Hart stopped 12 shots for the Golden Knights.
The evening began with members of the Original Misfits taking part in Fan Fest before joining former coach Gerard Gallant on The Fortress. Fan favorite Ryan Reaves cranked the siren as Vegas celebrated the ninth anniversary of its first home game during the franchise’s 10th season.
Once the puck dropped, Hart and Kuemper delivered early highlights, making big saves to keep the first period scoreless. Vegas also navigated overlapping penalties from Brayden McNabb and Nic Dowd, giving Los Angeles an extended two-man advantage.
Connelly broke through at 2:37 of the second period after Mitch Marner moved the puck down to Mark Stone, who tapped it across the crease for the rookie to punch home for his second goal of the season.
Vegas entered the night 5-for-20 on the power play against the NHL’s second-worst penalty kill. Connelly’s goal left Los Angeles with six power-play goals allowed on eight road opportunities.
Connelly became the third Golden Knight to score on the man advantage this season, joining Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson.
Stone’s assist extended his point streak to four games, giving the captain points in five of Vegas’ first six contests. He now has 35 points in 36 career games against Los Angeles.
Panarin tied the game at 6:21 of the second with Jeremy Lauzon serving a tripping penalty. Adrian Kempe and Brandt Clarke assisted on Panarin’s third goal of the season, which extended his point streak against Vegas to six games.
Connelly and Marc Gatcomb each had five shots through two periods to lead Vegas. Panarin paced Los Angeles with four.
The Kings also marked two milestones. Drew Doughty played in his 1,283rd NHL game, tying Ken Daneyko for 24th among defensemen. Peter Laviolette coached his 1,598th game, matching Ken Hitchcock for eighth all-time.
This is a developing story and will be updated following the game with the final result and postgame reaction.
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) battle for the puck in the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
The Pittsburgh Penguins knew they needed to notch a win Saturday against the Dallas Stars in the second game of a back-to-back.
They had three straight losses, and they weren't just losses, they were ugly ones. Nothing was going right for them, there was no cohesion, and they were fresh off a 3-2 shootout loss Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets that left a sour taste in their mouths.
And they put together the exact kind of response game they needed.
The Penguins defeated the Stars, 2-1, in a shootout effort that saw three Penguins put the puck in the back of the net. Arturs Silovs, the goaltender of record for the Penguins, made some huge saves late in the game and on the penalty kill, stopping 24 of 25 Dallas shots and delivering a nice follow-up to a 43-save performance by Sergei Murashov Friday.
The game was very low-event. But, given, how things had gone recently, that was probably the best thing for this team.
"The game last night was a little tough on everybody," defenseman Sam Girard said. "Playing in your zone, it's not fun and makes us a little more tired as well. But, it's the past, and I feel like we played our game tonight. And we still have some stuff to build from the game tonight."
The first 40 minutes came and went with no score, and both teams - aside from a defensive miscue that turned into a breakaway opportunity by Wyatt Johnston right at the beginnning of the game - were up to the task defensively.
But, in the back half of the second period, the Penguins started to get some offensive momentum. They began the third period with a 50-29 advantage in shot attempts, and two minutes in, they finally broke through on the scoresheet.
Pittsburgh's fourth line was breaking into the offensive zone, and Connor Dewar was the mail carrier. He opted to carry the puck across the slot, and he snuck a backhand that somehow went top-shelf and found its way over Stars' netminder Jake Oettinger to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
The Penguins had the better of the play for the majority of the rest of the game, but with Oettinger pulled and with just 30 seconds left in regulation, Tyler Seguin deflected a Jason Robertson shot from the left point to tie the game. Pittsburgh controlled the puck for almost the entire overtime period, too, but they couldn't convert, and it forced a shootout.
Ben Kindel kicked things off and beat Oettinger for his third shootout goal in four career attempts. Robertson missed for Dallas, then Sidney Crosby - who was left out of the shootout lineup Friday - netted one to give Pittsburgh the two-point advantage.
However, two consecutive tallies by Seguin and Johnston - and a post by Egor Chinakhov - knotted it up. Pittsburgh's fourth shooter, Rickard Rakell, put one top-shelf to best Oettinger, and Silovs made a save on Mikko Rantanen to end it and send the Penguins home with the win.
"We knew we needed to respond," head coach Dan Muse said. "It’s an emotional game, and so, it is a quick turnaround. In one sense, you're excited that you get to be playing again the next night, especially coming off a game that you know there's a lot we knew we could be better at. But it's a credit to them. It's not always the case.
"It shows where this group is that we can come together and find a way to just dig in and play a better brand of hockey, which is what I thought we did today."
- I'll start with the one glaring negative from this game since there was far more positive and much more to talk about on that end.
I don't know what is going on with Rakell right now, but whatever it is, it isn't good. In fact, it's borderline unplayable. He's mishandling passes, he's passing pucks right to opposing players, he can't get his shot off properly, and it's plain to see he's overthinking just about every decision he's making out there.
Rakell has always been a slow starter, so this is nothing new. And he tends to stick out like a sore thumb when he isn't playing well. Honestly, I thought he was the only Penguins' player who was still noticeably off his game against Dallas.
If this continues, I don't think dropping him in the lineup to take some of the pressure off would be the worst thing. Nick Robertson can easily bump up, and he could have the opportunity to slot alongside Ben Kindel, who has been excellent and probably would benefit from having a true goal-scorer on his line.
"It comes down to business and trying to play a good game."
Nick Robertson with @KatieFlorio before "The Robertson Bowl", pt. 9 ⚔️
- Speaking of, what an effort this was from Pittsburgh's fourth line of Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Robertson.
I still believe that Robertson should probably be playing higher in the lineup, but there's no denying that he complements that line well and brings a more offensive element to it, especially in terms of puck skills. And that, combined with Dewar and Lizotte's tenacity as well as his own, made for a dominant recipe.
Despite taking no offensive zone draws in comparison to six in the defensive zone and two in the neutral zone, that line outchanced Dallas 14-to-7 when it was on the ice.
And that speaks to what they bring as a unit. When asked what Robertson specifically brings to that line, Muse's answer was simple.
"I think basically the same thing the other two guys do," he smiled. "Just relentless work ethic, detailed defensively. They make it really hard on whoever they're playing against, and they just don't quit. Like, they don't quit on like plays, they don't quit on anything. As soon as a puck does turn over, they're right above it all the time. They just play the game with detail and tenacity. The line was awesome tonight. They were really good."
He also addressed how impressive their work was despite the defensive zone starts.
"It is a lot of D-zone starts, and sometimes if it's an O-zone faceoff, I'm taking them off the ice, and that's tough," Muse said. "They worked hard to get us there, but that also just shows these guys are selfless, and I think they take a lot of pride in what they do.
"So, for them to have that impact on the defensive side, and then also contribute offensively, which they had a number of chances – these guys, they're skilled players as well. It was great to see them get rewarded. I thought that line was awesome tonight."
That they were. They were the Penguins' best line Saturday.
- Elmer Soderblom slotted in for Ville Koivunen in this game, and I thought he made a difference. He's very good with the puck and excels along the walls, which is something the Penguins have been missing on their forecheck.
I think he earned a stay in the lineup with his play. I'd probably put Koivunen back in for Hendrix Lapierre when the Penguins play the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday to kick off a four-game Western road swing - as I think Koivunen has earned playing time - but Soderblom should remain.
He's literally such a large human that he can just overpower guys in puck battles and around the net. I think the Penguins could use more of that.
- The penalty kill continues to be excellent for the Penguins. They have allowed just one goal on 17 opportunities so far this season, which is good for a 94.1 percent rate and second in the league.
Special teams was a strength for the Penguins last season, and the power play still needs to catch up to the PK in terms of efficiency. But, right now, they're gelling as a unit.
"I feel like everybody's on the same page, everybody's ready to sacrifice their body to block some shots and be in the lanes," Girard said. "A lot of games are decided on the power play or on the PK in the NHL, so we're going to have to keep going like we've been doing and make sure we're blocking some shots, we're in the lane and we get the puck out."
And, honestly, it was a good first showing for him. He can certainly move out there, and he seems to have pretty good instincts on both sides of the puck. He also paired well with Kris Letang.
Stastney, 26, was in and out of the lineup and up and down between the NHL and AHL in Edmonton. He's just happy to get a chance to play in Pittsburgh, and for a first showing, it was largely good things.
“It’s always a matter of fighting to stay in and try to do my best," Stastney said. "So, no matter what, I’m just going to keep a smile on my face and keep working. I’m just happy to be in."
I'm curious to see how the Penguins handle their defensive rotation moving forward. They are paying van Riemsdyk $4 million for each of the next two years, so I imagine he'll still play in a good chunk of games, at least to start.
- Good on Silovs for following up Murashov's performance from Friday.
There is a lot of talk, already, about Murashov being the real deal. And, by the looks of things, he just might be. But Silovs tends to put together games like these when he knows there's a target on his back, and he earned himself more starts with his performance against the Stars, just like Murashov did.
We'll see how this rotation shakes out over the long-term. For now, I won't be surprised to see Muse go exactly 50/50 until one of them truly separates himself over a larger sample size.
- Finally, I want to shout out Evgeni Malkin. Because, man, was he shot out of a cannon Saturday.
In the past couple of seasons, Malkin has had his legs early. That's been the case again so far this season. His line outchanced Dallas 11-to-5 and skated circles around the offensive zone on a few occasions. They're also so dangerous on the rush, and Egor Chinakhov had himself a nice performance, too, despite not showing up on the scoresheet.
But Malkin's defensive play so far this season - and dating back to last season - is truly something else. And, I mean that literally, because it's not something we saw much from him earlier on in his career.
There was a play in the third period around the eight-minute mark when Dallas appeared to have an odd-man break. Roope Hintz saw Jamie Benn breaking down the right side all alone, and he attempted a pass. Malkin came out of nowhere on the backcheck to disrupt the pass with his stick, thwarting a golden opportunity for Benn.
The 40-year-old who far too many in the 412 area code didn't want back has been one of their best players so far this season, as he is the team's co-leader in goals (3) and points (5). And I've never seen Malkin give so much effort in all three zones.
This guy is out there to prove something, and he's proving that he still very much belongs on this team and playing the game of hockey for a 21st NHL season. Shifting to the wing has done wonders for his game.
The Colorado Avalanche returned to Ball Arena in downtown Denver, CO, to face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Colorado came in riding the high of a 7-3 thumping of the Calgary Flames. The Leafs blew a three-goal lead and fell to the Vegas Golden Knights last time out.
Early magic from Nathan MacKinnon and a solid shot share had Avalanche fans feeling another high-scoring win was on the table.
Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had other plans.
First Period
Remember Nick Blankenburg? He reminded the Avalanche early in the first when Nylander drew a delayed penalty, letting Blankenburg crash the net. A well-placed cross-ice pass found Nick, who fired it past MacKenzie Blackwood on Toronto’s first shot. Not an ideal start for Colorado, they fell behind 1-0 just three minutes in.
Colorado responded well with some chances that culminated in Nathan MacKinnon single-handedly willing the puck into the net through Sergie Bobrovsky’s five-hole. MacKinnon’s explosiveness was on full display as he blew past four Leafs and stuffed the puck between Bobrovsky’s legs before the goalie could react, tying the game 1-1 at 10:46.
MacKinnon wasn’t done with his first-period showcase, as he potted another on a tremendous solo effort and shot. He hit the brakes, spun away from the boards, created space in the high slot, and fired it home, giving the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 15:14.
The second frame is where things really began to slip for the Avalanche, starting with a William Nylander power-play goal. Somehow, the Avalanche left Nylander wide open at the doorstep, giving him space for his forehand-backhand move. Blackwood was completely down and out after the move, giving up two goals on 9 shots on goal at 6:53 in the second period. Things were tied at two-a-side.
Brock Nelson should be proud of the goal that restored Colorado’s one-goal lead, as his repeated attempts to gather and fire the puck in front paid off on his third shot. At 12:35 in the second, Nelson won the puck in the corner and shot; it was jarred loose. He gathered a rebound and shot again, and on the third attempt, it went into the top corner. The Avalanche took a 3-2 Lead on the bounceback.
Willy got loose on the Avalanche again at 16:47 in the second when Brett Kulak’s clearing attempt was kept in, leading to a Nylander shot from the high slot that went right through a sprawling MacKinnon and MacKenzie Blackwood. Toronto regained the 3-2 lead on their 11th framed shot of the evening.
Toronto’s 12th shot on goal went in as well, with Easton Cowan firing a one-timer into the net on a feed from Auston Matthews at 17:33. That’s right, just 46 seconds after Nylander’s goal, Auston Matthews’ second assist and Nylander’s 4th point of the night gave Toronto the 4-3 lead in Colorado.
Third Period
Toronto led the rest of the way, with Matthews adding two goals to his two assists, first on the power play. Wouldn’t you know it, Willy Nylander got a 5th point at 12:02 in the third, with a secondary assist from Kirill Marchenko. The Leafs took a commanding 5-3 third-period lead.
Matthews’ second goal of the final period was an empty-net, unassisted goal as the Avalanche fell to the Leafs 6-3 on home ice.
Takeaways
Listen, it’s just game five and only their second loss of the season, but I’m a little concerned about Colorado’s style of play. It feels like the Avalanche have been too unsettled defensively. I was hoping we’d see a commitment to defensive hockey this season, and Colorado’s defensive lapses (though few) typically lead to high-danger chances. I do think they limited the shots and could have gotten a better performance in net to support their efforts.
People will likely talk about it over the weekend and heading into Colorado’s Tuesday game with the rival Dallas Stars, but MacKenzie Blackwood wasn’t statistically good this evening. I hope I did a good enough job explaining Toronto’s goals, because Blackwood’s numbers deserve some context. Many of Toronto’s goals came on wide-open looks for one reason or another, including defensive lapses. Unfortunately, the numbers are bad enough that context likely won’t do much to ease fans’ or Blackwood’s minds.
Coach Bednar's assessment of Mackenzie Blackwood tonight:
"He needs to give us a save… I can't blame him for any of the goals. None. But if you're giving up 4 shots in a period and 3 goals, you'd like him to make a save in some of those. I'm sure he feels the same way."
Nathan MacKinnon is on a mission and, in my opinion, has been Colorado’s best player every game so far. Not saying others haven’t been good, but what we are watching Nathan MacKinnon do right now is very impressive.
Up Next
As previously mentioned, the Colorado Avalanche will meet the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.
BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten had a goal and two assists, Pavel Zacha scored his first goal of the season and the Boston Bruins beat the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Saturday.
Mason Lohrei, Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt also scored for Boston (4-2), which won its second straight game.
Starting for the fifth time in the Bruins’ first six games, Jeremy Swayman faced just three shots in the opening 30 minutes and finished with 14 saves. His bid for his second shutout of the season was spoiled when Porter Martone had a power-play goal 6:32 into the final period. Swayman won his 136th game, tying Andy Moog for eighth on Boston’s all-time list.
Dan Vladar made 27 saves for the Flyers (0-4-2), who are the Eastern Conference’s only winless team.
DEVILS 4, CANUCKS 1
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored two goals and added an assist while Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist in New Jersey’ win over Vancouver.
Jack Hughes contributed two assists and Jake Allen, playing in his 500th career game, made 20 saves.
Linus Karlsson scored for Vancouver, who have lost three straight games while getting outscored 14-5. Leevi Merilainen made 31 saves.
Hischier’s first goal was his 200th for New Jersey in 613 games, becoming the fifth Swiss player to reach that mark and the second fastest among that group. His linemate, Timo Meier, scored 200 goals in 569 games.
Bratt and Hischier each scored power-play goals in the second period to put the Devils ahead 4-1.
OILERS 3, SHARKS 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Connor McDavid recorded his 13th point of the season and 10th assist as Edmonton beat San Jose for their fourth straight win.
Vasily Podkolzin scored his fifth goal while Mattias Ekholm and Alex Formenton also scored for Edmonton. Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots.
Macklin Celebrini returned to the lineup for San Jose after missing two games with a lower-body injury. The Sharks captain scored his first goal of the season midway through the third period.
Ekholm opened the scoring at 12:37 of the first period. Podkolzin extended Edmonton’s lead 3:13 into the third, with McDavid recording the assist. He moved ahead of Jack Eichel for the league lead in points and assists.
Formenton made it 3-0 on a backhand shot about two minutes later.
Celebrini got San Jose on the board midway through the third period, but the Sharks could not complete the comeback.
Yaroslav Askarov made 17 saves for San Jose.
WILD 4, PANTHERS 1
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had three goals and an assist, Matt Boldy scored his first goal of the season in the game’s first minute, and Minnesota spoiled Florida’s home opener by beating the Panthers.
Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt continued his hot start, stopping 29 shots. Wallstedt has been in net for all five of Minnesota’s games so far, going 3-1-1 with a .936 save percentage and a stingy goals-against average of just 1.78.
Boldy gave the Wild the lead 53 seconds into the game. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 13:42 left in the opening period, added his second 5 minutes into the middle frame, and finished his hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:04 left.
MAMMOTH 4, SABRES 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — John Marino, Anders Lee and Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist to help Utah beat Buffalo.
Nick Schmaltz also scored, and Barrett Hayton had two assists.
Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves as the Mammoth bounced back from a 6-1 loss in Boston on Thursday night to win for the third time on a five-game trip.
Tage Thompson had a goal for the Sabres in their second straight loss at home. Colten Ellis stopped 26 shots.
Schmaltz and Lee scored 2:01 apart late in the second period to give the Mammoth a two-goal lead.
Thompson’s goal at 8:00 into the game was Buffalo’s first on the power play this season.
Yamamoto, making his season debut, tied it just past the midway point of the first period. Yamamoto entered the lineup in place of forward Michael Carcone, who is listed as week to week with an upper-body injury.
CANADIENS 1, RED WINGS 0, OT
MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and Montreal beat Detroit.
After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.
Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.
Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.
SENATORS 3, PREDATORS 2, OT
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to give the Ottawa a victory over Nashville.
Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson — who tied it with 2:23 left in the third period — scored for the Senators (4-1-0). Linus Ullmark turned away 16 shots.
Jonathan Marchessault and Ross Colton scored for Nashville (2-1-2), while Matt Murray made 18 stops.
The Predators took a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over glass with 13 seconds remaining in regulation providing the Senators the perfect opportunity, but a stagnant power play was unable to capitalize. Ottawa went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.
PENGUINS 2, STARS 1, SO
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored the deciding goal in the shootout and Pittsburgh beat Dallas.
Arturs Silovs stopped Mikko Rantanen in the shootout to help Pittsburgh snap a three-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby and Ben Kindel also scored in the shootout for the Penguins, who lost in a shootout at Columbus on Friday.
Connor Dewar scored in regulation for Pittsburgh and Silovs stopped 24 shots.
Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots for the Stars.
Oettinger, coming off back-to-back shutouts against San Jose and Buffalo, set the longest shutout streak of his career at 188:52. It’s the third-longest shutout streak in franchise history.
HURRICANES 5, BLACKHAWKS 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Jackson Blake and Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist each and Carolina beat Chicago.
Mark Jankowski, Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions who won their fourth in a row and outplayed the Blackhawks, outshooting them 39-26 and winning the majority of the faceoffs.
Beginning with Jankowski’s breakaway score in the final minute of the first period, Carolina scored three goals in a span of 4:25. A short-handed goal by Aho and an even-strength goal by Blake within 1:19 of each other early in the second period gave Carolina a 3-0 lead.
Chicago’s Roman Kantserov scored his first NHL goal 4:40 into the second period, briefly drawing the Blackhawks within two goals. Hall’s goal 1:25 later gave Carolina a 4-1 lead. Martinook beat Spencer Knight on a slot backhand five minutes into the third period.
Oliver Moore scored Chicago’s second goal with 5:46 to play.
BLUES 5, BLUE JACKETS 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice and Dylan Holloway had three assists as St. Louis beat Columbus.
Making his second start of the season, Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots. In his first game, Binnington allowed six goals in a loss at Colorado.
St. Louis (2-2-1) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Blues had lost their previous six games against the Blue Jackets (2-2-0).
Jet Graeves recorded 24 saves for Columbus.
On a delayed penalty, Jonatan Berggren scored the go-ahead goal at 9:33 in the third period. Greaves stopped a Mason McTavish shot but Berggren was there to put back the rebound.
Pavel Buchnevich added an empty-net goal at 19:17.
MAPLE LEAFS 6, AVALANCHE 3
DENVER (AP) — William Nylander and Easton Cowan scored 46 seconds apart late in the second period and Toronto beat Colorado.
Nylander finished with two goals and had a career-high three assists to finish with five points, also tying a career high. Auston Matthews had two goals and two assists for Toronto, which has alternated wins and losses to start the season.
Nathan MacKinnon scored twice for Colorado, which suffered its first loss in three home games. Brock Nelson also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood had 16 saves in his first setback of the season. The Avs finished 0 of 5 on the power play, which included eight seconds of a 5 on 3 early in the second period.
After Nick Blankenburg gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead 3:03 into the game, MacKinnon’s bull-rush through the Toronto defense tied it midway through the first. He gave Colorado the lead with his second of the night at 15:14.
Nylander tied it 19 seconds after Jaden Schwartz took high-sticking minor early in the second, the first power-play goal the Avs allowed this season. Brock Nelson scored off his own rebound later in the period to give Colorado a 3-2 lead before the Maple Leafs grabbed control in the second.
LIGHTNING 5, ISLANDERS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals with less than two minutes to play to complete his hat trick and Tampa Bay extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over New York.
Hagel, who also had an assist, scored the go-ahead goal with 1:44 remaining and an empty-net goal 21 seconds later.
Jake Guentzel scored twice for Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves and the Lightning won the first half of their brief two-game New York road trip.
Tony DeAngelo, Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin finished with 21 saves.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 08: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox in game four of the American League Division Series at Rate Field on October 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nah nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah
Hey hey hey
GOOD BYEEEE…
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
ITS ALL OVER
GO HOME NOW
AND CRYYYYY
Alright- got that out of my system.
Well it was a thrilling night down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (thrilling? That’s what you call when your heart is beating out your butt?). After 2 games it looked like we probably wouldn’t get another home crowd until next season, but the Road Guardians were able to come alive thanks to some Heroics from several of our guys. A new brand new life appeared in their eyes when Jose started to turn his series around, and after two 9 run outbursts, the Guardians and their fans were believing again. The teams would be given about 44 hours to rest up and get to Cleveland before we do this one last time, the 18th between the two teams this year. Would the White Sox continue their dream season? Would the Guardians finish off the comeback? Would Jake stress eat half a rotisserie chicken through it all? Let’s see!
Through 2 innings both pitchers looked SHARP. Gavin was up to his typical routine of gassing 99 past hitters and locating in the zone. He had 4 strikeouts through 2 innings allowing only a Walk to reach. It was only 24 pitches but he looked in command early, and the crowd was loving it…. But not to be outdone, Sean Burke was matching Gavin stride for stride, getting 5 easy outs and ending the 2nd with his 1st K on Travis Bazzana. And then, the worst thing a Cleveland fan can hear when facing Chicago in the Playoffs… Rain.
The rain picked up at the end of the 2nd and you could feel the crowd lighten up, knowing the history here. Fortunately Gavin didn’t seem to mind, adding another 2 quick strikeouts and getting a groundout to make it 3 complete innings, a first for any Cleveland pitcher since Game 2.
And UNfortuantely, Sean Burke continued to match Gavin out there. He wouldn’t rack up the K’s, but he was extremely efficient. He would retire the first 7 batters in just 20 pitches. Petey Halpin, making his first start of the postseason (in for the struggling Angel Martinez) was the first to make Burke work, getting a 7 pitch groundout and making Burke cover the bag as well. Even just making him run for 5 seconds felt like a Win, as Burke would get Rocchio to check swing Strikeout, finishing the 3rd inning on 34 pitches and putting the Guardians on Perfect Game Watch.
0-0 thru 3.
Back out there for the 4th and Gavin was absolutely dialed in. With the heart of the White Sox order (Teel/Vargas/Murakami), Gavin would throw a 13 pitch masterpiece, striking out the side, reaching 101 and using that 2 seamer to perfection. Thru 4 innings Gavin was everything you could ever want in a Game 5 Starter, striking out 9 allowing just one base runner to reach.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kwan would record the first hit of the game, a single to CF, and we would finally get to see how Sean Burke would react out of the stretch.
The GOAT doing GOAT things. Outside of a few inconsequential solo homers in the regular season, Sean Burke was the one pitcher we haven’t been able to figure out. So leave it to Jose to golf one out that was an inch off the plate. A Homer that only he could hit, sending the crowd into a brief frenzy before they chanted his name.
Add in a hustle infield single, and Burke’s pitch count started to climb and Venable’s leash on him begun to shorten. Sean Newcomb would start to warm in the bullpen as we headed to the 5th inning, the Guardians holding a small 2-0 lead.
But all series long, and honestly, all season long, the White Sox had this innate ability to answer right away. And coming to the plate were some very familiar faces, one who drove Gavin out of a gem with an 18 pitch at bat just a month ago (a detail the announcers just couldn’t keep out of their mouths). But the Big Rig was more like an unstoppable train tonight, and that continued in the 5th with a strikeout, a rare groundout and another swinging strikeout. His masterpiece would continue for at least one more inning- with a line of 5IP, 1 BB, 11 K on 72 pitches. A long way to go but just an incredible line through 5 innings of an elimination game.
To the bottom of the 5th and we got some fireworks again- but not the good kind. With 1 out Greedy Petey Halpin lined one into the RF corner and seeing it slow down, Petey decided to try for 3. Well, he ain’t Greedy Petey for nothin, and was thrown out taking 3rd. In the moment, I didn’t hate it. He’s probably the fastest guy on the team and was daring the White Sox to make 3 great throws. If they don’t, he’s a Sac Fly from Rocchtober away from expanding the lead. But they did make two great throws, and our first runner in scoring position was out before we could even get a bat. After thinking about it more, and who was coming up, I don’t love the aggressiveness there. Trust one of Rocchio or Kwan to get a hit, or at least a walk to get Jose up. Gotta know who is behind you and the situation here. Don’t hate it, don’t love it, it is what it is and we are still 2-0 headed to the 6th inning.
To start the 6th DOES ANYONE GET HBP AS MUCH AS THESE GUYS? I’m sure they aren’t even that high up there, but man it feels like we’ve hit far too many of them this series. Well, from cruise control to alarms blaring in every Cleveland fan’s heart, the Sox get their leadoff man on with the top of the lineup incoming. On an 0-2 pitch nonetheless. Woof!
So Gav. You’ve thrown a gem. You have a 2 run lead. But the tying run is at the plate, how do you respond?… Quick strikeout, flyout, but then a 2 out single (the first hit for the White Sox all game) and we ask again Gav, this time in the voice of Carl Willis coming out for a meeting on the mound… You’ve thrown a gem, you’ve got the tying run on base, and the most dangerous batter Chicago has is at the plate. How, do you, respond?
He would walk Vargas on 5 non-competitive pitches, loading the bases for Munetaki Murakami and ending his day at 5.2 IP.
As I type this, I know his line isn’t final. There’s a chance that 5.2 IP has 3 ER attached to it. Hopefully Sabrowski does his job and there are no runs attached to it. But all I gotta say is Gavin spun an absolute gem. So no matter what happens, that needs to be the AND SRIK SABROWSKI STRIKES OUT MUNETAKI MURAKAMI!!! KICKSTART MY HEART AND LET OUT THAT PRIMAL ROAR YOU BEAUTIFUL CANADIAN HOSER!!!!! (I do assume Hoser is a term of endearment in Canada? Or at the very least a regular of fun name-calling banter. I apologize if it is a slur or offensive in anyway).
Whoa BABY that 6th was a ride! Now can we please add some insurance here? Because I’m counting the outs we have left and I would REALLY like a 3rd and 4th run here.
Oh no that wouldn’t happen here. Sean Newcomb put his big boy pants on tonight and would strikeout Kwany and Jose before Chase “handsomest man in the world” DeLauter squeaked one by Chase “most White Sox looking White Sox ever even more than Aaron Rowand/Paul Konerko/Joe Crede” Meidroth, but Jo Adell could not play hero and we go to the 7th, still 2-0.
Vogt would surprisingly pull Sabrowski after the one batter, putting Hunter Gaddis directly into the fire against the White Sox for what might have actually been the 18th time this season (I think it’s actually 12 which is insane anyway). Interesting decision, knowing you likely don’t want to go 2 Cade innings again, AND, it’s Hunter Gaddis…
But the Big Hairy Georgian was AWESOME, striking out 3 while allowing just one flare off the end of the bat. Another great call by Vogt, and we are 6 outs away from the ALCS. Big question now becomes, do you stuck with Gaddis for Doyle? Herrin for Antonacci/Teel/Vargas? Does Shawn Armstrong come into play? How many outs are we asking of Cade? All nerve wracking questions that would matter a whole lot less if you could just ADD A DAMN INSURANCE RUN!!!
Nope. Again, why would we do that? What’s the fun in winning easy? Why not enter every inning with a solid chance at colossal heart break? What’s the saying? It’s better to have loved and lost rather than to win by 5 or 6? Something like that?
Onto the 8th inning, and Hunter Gaddis comes back out after a 14 pitch, BEAUTIFUL 7th, ready to throw pitch 15 and possibly more for the 9th hitter and beyond. Randall Grichuk, he of Guardian faithful Free Agency dreams (and then again of the Waiver Wire), would pinch-strikeout for Doyle before the lineup would turn over. Gaddis stayed on; so of course Antonacci would get the Sox 3rd hit of the night (all were flares off the end of the bat), which would be all that Vogt needed to go to the ‘pen, hopefully one last time (in a good way), where he’d be calling on Cade Smith to get 5 outs.
Look, I trust Cade Smith more than any pitcher we’ve maybe ever had. But Thursday’s appearance, as well as the fact that he’s thrown in every game this series, has me more nervous than I’ve ever been with him taking the mound. Usually, I’m as steady as a rock. Tonight, I’m a shaky wet puddle on the floor.
Oh Jaker, ye of little faith. Cade would scare me for two pitches way out of the zone before coming back to strike out Teel and then getting Vargas to pop up to Bailey. Cade Smith. K’d. The Cade Crusader. Gettin the job done like he has 200 times before.
3 outs away
So please, one final time, can I get an insurance run???
Well, we’d get our chance. Halpin would lead the inning off with a double off the top of the wall, but Grant Taylor would come in and somehow get the job done by getting Rocchio to ground out, walking Kwan and then Jose (intentionally), then two sharp groundouts from Chase and Jo. 0-3 with RISP on the night. Would it bite us one final time in a year where it seemingly did once every series? Would 2 runs be enough for the extremely overused Cade Smith?
Unbelievable. The Cleveland Guardians come back from down 2 games to none to advance to the American League Championship Series for the 2nd time in 3 seasons under Steven Vogt! Incredible pitching to set strikeout records in both game 4 with 19 in 9 innings and then again in game 5 with 21 strikeouts.
Gavin Williams. Jose Ramirez. Cade Smith. THAT IS GUARDSBALL BABY.
——
Let me just say, major shout out to the Chicago White Sox. What they overcame this year was remarkable. I mean, this was their second best season in the last 100 years, and they almost beat us! It was close. Now, we might take our seasons for granted here, ya know, we just wake up and win the division so the ALCS is way more in our wheelhouse. But in Chicago it’s basically a pipe dream. So for them to come so close to it, is truly remarkable. They deserve a lot of credit for putting together such an incredible Wild Card round Win for one of their greatest moments in franchise history. And they almost won the division too. Great stuff guys really!
No, no trolling. In all seriousness the White Sox and Guardians were neck and neck all year and it made plenty of sense that this came down to a Winner-Take-All Game 5. They were a formidable opponent that I would’ve hated to lose to because, well, I just don’t like them. But damn it did I respect their game all season long. They got the better of us just as often as we did them (literally, the regular and post season series came out to 9-9).
What a year, and we ain’t done. ALCS starts Monday night in Tampa. I have no idea who’s pitching and I do not care. Let’s enjoy this ride Cleveland! See you Monday!!!
It's a battle of NL heavyweights as a pair of 100-win teams stage a rematch of last year's NLCS with the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers looking to avenge their loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers will have to break through on the road once again if they hope to make it three titles in a row.
Meanwhile, the AL matchup offers the complete opposite, with the top-seeded Rays looking to get back to the World Series for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season – and hoping to win it for the first time in franchise history.
They'll be heavy favorites over the Cleveland Guardians, who had to survive a grueling five-game division series just to get here.
Printable MLB playoff bracket: 2026 League Championship Series update
MLB playoff bracket, schedule
* - if necessary
ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians/Chicago White Sox
All times Eastern
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 12. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 13. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
*Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 17. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
*Game 6: Monday, Oct. 19. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 5 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
*Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 20. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
NLCS: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
All times Eastern
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14. Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
*Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
*Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
*Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
